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Heartstopper fever hits an all-time high this month, as the comic series by Alice Oseman concludes with the release of the sixth and final volume on July 7. Soon, we’ll say goodbye to Nick and Charlie on screen with the upcoming film Heartstopper Forever, which drops on Netflix on July 17.
Spanning three seasons and a movie, Heartstopper follows Teen Vogue cover stars Joe Locke and Kit Connor as Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson respectively, in a story that centers romance, discovery and queer joy, while also tracking the rough journey toward healing and mental health. We have a sneak peek still from the film exclusively for Teen Vogue readers, as well as a behind the scenes photo of series creator Alice Oseman and executive producer Patrick Walters on set.
Oseman is currently experiencing a staggered goodbye—the webcomic concluded on April 11, 2026, and both the book series and Netflix adaptation end this July. But Oseman is set to embark on a global book tour, so the magic isn’t over just yet.
The “big challenge” of turning the show into a movie, Oseman says, was the shift from a true ensemble where many characters had complex story arcs, to a more focused story. This makes it perhaps even more true to the comics, because the limited run time has forced Oseman and the production team to hone in on Nick and Charlie.
“What I felt when approaching the film was that either we could do a similar ensemble approach, where everyone would get a reduced, shorter story, or we could make it about Nick and Charlie, and I think that would be a better film … because we get to really focus on these characters, go on that journey with them and not feel like we’re missing a load of stuff,” Oseman says. “I feel really good about that decision, as I was still really intent on giving all of the supporting characters their moment in the film. That’s really important to me, because we love these characters and we've learned so much about them, and we want to know where they're at in the film and where they're going to be in the future, so I did make sure that everyone has their goodbye in the film."
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Of course, in the final comic volume, and indeed in the film, the characters are older, having steered one another through teenage tempests, and as always seems to be the topic of online discourse—yes, they’re having sex.
“There is a lot of discourse about there being sex or there not being sex in Heartstopper, people can't seem to make up their minds—which one is it?—but something that I've definitely learned while writing is that you have to tell the story you want to tell, and particularly when something gets as big as Heartstopper, you can't please everyone,” Oseman says. “There’s always going to be people who are not content with the direction you've taken a story.”
After all, Nick and Charlie and the rest of their friends are getting older and embarking on new adventures, just as their viewers and readers are too.
“Every time we’ve come back to the Heartstopper show and film, we’ve tried to age it up a little bit because we wanted to feel like the show is growing up alongside these characters and the audience,” Oseman says. “Nick and Charlie are almost adults, they're pretty much on the cusp of adulthood, and we know that sex is a part of their relationship, and so it felt like a really natural thing to put in the film, and it's the same in the books as well.”
So how will Oseman feel when all is said and done? “I don’t know, I really don’t know,” she says. “Right now it’s very bittersweet, like I’m really sad to be saying goodbye to these characters and I’m going to miss them so much. It’s really emotional to be ending these stories, but also that's all wrapped up in the feeling of pride and happiness that I got to finish this story in the way that I wanted to … I think that crash will come, but it's not quite yet.”
There’s still so much to look back on with fondness. Heartstopper truthers will remember the iconic Nick and Charlie kissing in the rain scene from season 1, which was Locke and Connor’s first kiss scene in filming order. “It was such a romantic, beautiful moment that it just had everyone in tears,” Oseman says. “I remember us all crowding around the monitor, tearing up, watching this happen. That was the moment where we were also like, ‘this show is going to be really good’.”
The author and creator also recalls filming the Truman-Higgs sports day from the season 1 finale. “It felt like a real sports day, we were near the end of the shoot, and everyone was together,” she says. “For some reason, we had loads of family visiting that day, a lot of the actors brought their family in, and everyone just was in such a good mood, and the weather was amazing. We had so many people on that field, it just felt like such a celebratory moment, such a big moment for all of us to step back and be like, wow, we've done it, like we've made this show against all odds.”
Oseman thinks about what they would say to young Alice, who’s just at the start of the Heartstopper journey. “Keep going,” Oseman says. “It’s okay to listen to your own voice and focus on what you want the story to be.”
She’s grown a lot in that regard. “There was a period in the middle where Heartstopper was getting really big and it was getting a big audience who had a lot of opinions and thoughts about where they wanted the story to go, and there was a time where I felt like I had to give everyone what they wanted, and I had to make sure that no one would be unhappy with the story.”
Now, if given the chance, Oseman would simply remind themself: “You are the first person who’s reading Heartstopper, you are the first reader, so focus on what you want it to be and try not to worry too much about the other voices.”
As we wait for the film to drop, we asked Oseman for a little tease of what awaits in Heartstopper Forever. “We often look back at Nick and Charlie's past and reflect on how far they've come,” says Oseman, “while also being reminded that those original Heartstopper butterflies are still very much alive and their foundation of friendship is still so strong.”
And in Oseman’s words, taken directly from the action lines of the film’s script: “So much has changed, and yet they are still here. Two best friends playing in the snow.”
